PAKISTAN: President can be in today’s election, but he may not be able to win, court rules.

By Stephen Graham

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan – Pakistan can go ahead with its presidential election, but the winner can’t be declared – at least not for a while, the country’s Supreme Court said Friday.

It said the results of today’s ballot could not become official until it decided whether Pervez Musharraf was eligible to stand for re-election while retaining his dual post as chief of the army.

The surprise decision cast Pakistan into political confusion by leaving open the possibility that the high court could still derail the U.S.-allied Musharraf’s bid for a new five-year term even if, as expected, he easily won the voting by national and provincial lawmakers.

That brought new doubts about his future and his pledges to end eight years of military rule, restore democracy and redouble efforts to fight surging Islamic militancy. And it rekindled speculation that Musharraf might resort to martial law to hold on to the presidency.

“Pakistan will be in a state of political limbo for quite some time,” analyst Talat Masood said.

Musharraf, meanwhile, pressed on with his effort to negotiate a power-sharing deal with former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto.

The general, who seized power in a 1999 coup, has said he wants to stay on as president to continue policies that have turned around Pakistan’s economy despite its position on the front line of the American-led war against terrorist groups.

But a botched attempt to fire the country’s chief justice in March rebounded badly, eroding his authority and popularity and setting up the Supreme Court as the biggest obstacle to his continued rule.